Tray for electric heating appliances



C. Hf B. CHAPIN.

TRAY FOR ELECTRIC HEATING APPLIANCES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. 1921.

1,393,751; 'Patented 001. 18,1921.

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ORNEYS PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. B. CHAPIN, 0F ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

TRAY FOR ELECTRIC HEATING APPLIANCES.

Application led February 4, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. B. CHAPIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing atI Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of yNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trays for Electric Heating Appliances, of which the follow-ing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Electric heating appliances such as percolators, toasters, egg boiler, grills andthe like are being more extensively used than heretofore and as the art develops new appliances are constantly being placed upon the market. It has been a common practice to locate and operate suc-h appliances upon a serving or dining room table. Each apipliance has been provided with a suitable Socket to receive a plug carried `by* a flexible connecting cord whlch leads to a lamp socket or other source of electricity. This method of connection of the appliances to a current source while perfectly satisfactory for a single appliance is not at all conduclve to the concurrent use of a number of devices upon a single table. The use of each extra heating device necessitates an additional cord or cords and these extra cords multiply in number and they become more and more in the way of the users and also necessitate the use of a plurality of lamp sockets or plug sockets which may not be available.

The present invention resides in the provision of a suitable tray 'which is adapted to be connected with a current'source by a single cord. The tray is provided with suitable means for receiving and supplying cur- 'rent tolone or more heating appliances. Concealed within the body of the tray are b-ranch conductors which lead from the current receiving plug on the tray to the appliances. These branch conductors may also be provided with suitable switches.

In the drawings- Figurel shows a top plan view of the tray.

Fig. 2 is a. side view.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing the means for supplying the current to the appliance. ,l

In more detail, the tray 10 may be of any desired shape or form depending upon the number of appliances to be received by it and may be provided with aclear space l'or receiving other articles. It is preferably provided with handles 11.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

serial No. 442,403.

At one edge of the tray I provide a plug socket 12 of well known type. This socket is adapted toreceive an attachment plug from which a single duplex cord (not shown) extends to the ycurrent source. Suitable wires 13 lead from this plug to main lines or leads 14 which extend across the t-ray and connect with branch current carry ing leads 15. The flow of current in these branch circuits may be controlled by switches of any desired form but preferably of the push type as shown at 16 located at the edge of the tray.

The branch leads 15 extend to detachable connectors for the electric pliances.y The connectors include elements carried by and secured to the tray and coacting elements upon the heating appliances. In the embodiment illustrated I have shown these connectors in the form of plug and socket devices with the plug elements 17 carried by the heating appliance and the socket elements in the form of spring clips 18 mounted upon an insulating plate 19 carried by an insulating block 20. The block in turn is mounted in a boss 21 extending upwardly from a cupped depression in the tray. The heating appliance is here shown as extending down into this cupped depression.

Any desired form of detachable connector may be used. The various wires are concealed within the ctray between the. top and bottom thereof. To provide access to the heating a-pbottoms of the sockets suitable removable cover plates 22 are provided.

If desired the s wltches 16 may be omitted and the circuits tothe various appliances may then be controlled by breakingthe circuit thereto at the detachable connector by the removal of the heating appliance.

The mode of use of my tray will be readily understood. The tray is placed in a convenient position -upon the table and connected to a currentsource by a single duplex cord. The user thien placesone or more of the heatin appliances in position thereon and establlshes the circuit thereto in the manner set forth. A multi licity of cords and current supply receptac es are unneces- -sary and by making all of the detachable connectors interchangeable, the tray may be y 'ing the appliances in place on the tray so that they do not slide about or become entirely dislodged when the tray is moved from place to place.

The improved tray here described may also be used in other Ways for example it may be used on a tea Wagon or upon any other support. ln addition when one or more of the appliances are not being used the depressions in the tray may be covered with removable covers.

What I claim is l. A tray adapted to receive electric heating appliances and provided with a plurality of connector elements for detachably receiving said electric heating devices and supplying current thereto, and means carried by said tray for receiving current from a single source and supplying the same to the connector elements and therethrough to the heating appliances.

2. A tray adapted to receive a plurality of electric heating appliances, detachable connectors having elements secured to said tray upon which the heating appliances may be placed, said elements being connected to current carrying means in said tray, and means carried by the tray for receiving current from a single source and supplying the same to the detachable connector elements and therethrough to the heating appliances.

3. A tray adapted to receive a plurality of electric heating appliances, a plurality of detachable connectors having elements thereof secured to the tray, a plurality of branch circuit leads carried by said tray and leading to said connector elements, and means carried by the tray receiving current from a single source and supplying the same to said branch circuit leads.

4. A tray adapted to receive a plurality of electric heating appliances, a plurality of detachable connectors having elements carried by the tray to supply current to said devices, a plurality of branch circuit leads secured to the tray and leading to the aforesaid connector elements, switches in said leads to selectively control the flow of current to the individual appliances, and means carried by the tray for receiving current from a single source and supplying the same to the aforesaid branch circuit leads.

5. A tray adapted to receive electric heating appliances, and provided with an extended surface portion for other articles, a plurality of connector elements secured to said tray for detachably receiving one or more of said heating appliances and supplying current thereto, and means carried by the tray for receiving current from a single source and supplying the same to the connector elements.

6. A tray adapted to receive a plurality of electric heating appliances, a pluralityv of connector elements secured to said tray and cooperating with connector elements on said heating appliances to thereby supply current thereto, a plurality of branch circuit leads carried by the tray and leading from a main pair of leads to said connector elements carried by the tray, a plurality! of switches mounted in the side of the tray and each controlling one of the said branch circuits, a plug socket in the side of the tray to receive current from a single source, and Wires leading from said plug socket to said main leads to supply current thereto, and therethrough to the selected branch circuit leads and connector elements corresponding to heating appliances.

In testlmony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

CHARLES H. B. CHAPIN. 

